Learning to Live Again
by Sweetlittlegremlin
Summary: Wyatt is dead, Leo is gone, Piper is pregnant and trying to heal her heart. Please R and R. Thanks!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Piper sighed sadly as she laid Wuvey down gently in the crib she and Paige had finally gotten around to setting up. She couldn't restrain the tears that started to build up in her eyes. Wyatt would have just turned 2 last month had they been able to rescue him. She smoothed her fingers over the soft blue blanket that she'd tucked into the mattress just minutes before.

She felt horrible that she was so sad throughout the last half of this pregnancy. She hadn't been really, truly happy since the morning of the incident.

She had woken up to the feeling of the butterfly fluttering of Chris, Leo's arms around her and Wyatt curled into her side sucking his thumb. She still could vividly picture his sweet face with its no longer strictly baby features, slowly changing to those of a precocious toddler. His light blonde curls with their golden highlights sparkling in the sun that shone through the window. Curls just like his dads. Beautiful ice blue eyes framed with long lashes as he gazed up at her smiling groggily, those eyes that made her think of her big sister every time she saw them. His sweet baby laugh as Leo started tickling him.

She remembered lying in bed watching as Leo untangled his arms from around her body and reached over her pulling Wyatt to him and putting him on his shoulders as he winked at her. "Hey Wyatt, let's go make mommy breakfast in bed" his own bright blue eyes sparkling conspiratorially.

"Ya!" Wyatt exclaimed enthusiastically bouncing up and down on Leo's broad shoulders. She compared how alike her two boys looked and wasn't at all disappointed when she noted that Wyatt definitely resembled Leo more than he did her.

She watched them leave the room calling out teasingly as they went "Please don't ruin my kitchen boys!" Piper laid back on her pillows and felt completely at ease until she heard the loud clatter in the kitchen. At first she thought nothing of it believing that Leo had dropped a pan or tried to grab one without moving the ones that she had placed on top. It wasn't until she heard the second loud series of bangs that she panicked.

She raced down the stairs as fast as she could to find Leo unconscious on the kitchen floor and Wyatt nowhere to be found.

"Paige!" She screamed her voice raising an octave as she began to hyperventilate. She only managed to move to Leo's side a few steps away before the white and blue orbs signaling her baby half-sister's arrival appeared. Paige's face was troubled having obviously picked on Piper's own panic. She had only been upstairs but sometimes her supernatural mode of transport was just that much faster and in her family a few seconds could mean the difference between a vanquish or not, living or dying, losing a family member or getting there in time to save them.

Both sisters heard Phoebe's rushed footsteps on the stairs as she raced to join them also picking up on the urgency in her older sister's voice. "What's going on?" She asked as she rounded into the kitchen gasping unconsciously when she saw Paige kneeling over Leo her hands glowing brightly.

Phoebe grabbed Piper around the shoulders and made Piper face her. "Where is Wyatt?" Piper gazed around frantically until Phoebe gave her a gentle yet forceful shake "Pipe, do you know where Wyatt is?"

"No! Leo brought him down to make me breakfast!" Piper practically shrieked. "Paige is Leo going to be ok? We have to find Wyatt." Her panic making her jump back and forth, unable to focus specifically on one of the men she loved.

"He will be fine" Paige assured her though her own voice was laced with fear, worried as to where her small nephew was, as to who could have possibly stolen the innocent toddler. "Phoebe go get the book and scrying crystals. We will need them." Paige was trying to stay calm for all of them and Piper knew that it was killing all of them not knowing what had happened, what was happening. Phoebe raced out of the room her bathrobe billowing behind her.

As Phoebe flew up the stairs Leo finally regained consciousness, groaning loudly as he struggled to sit up. He took one glance at his wife's face and knew that something was terribly wrong, far worse than he could ever have imagined "Wyatt?" he questioned as he finally stood.

"What happened Leo?" Paige asked softly trying not to sound antagonizing.

"We came down to make Piper breakfast. I put Wyatt in the booster seat and pulled the chair close to the counter. I turned around to get the frying pan and then everything goes black." Leo shook his head trying to see if clearing the last few cobwebs littering his memory would bring any small thing back, even the most seemingly insignificant detail could mean everything.

Phoebe had grabbed the crystals and map as well at the Book of Shadows, the Halliwell's tome of all things mystical and magical and then raced back to her waiting family. It was as soon as she placed everything on the still-standing kitchen table that Piper turned into mother bear. She had gone from panicked and silently freaking out to panicked and angry in seconds flat. She grabbed the crystal and tore open the map and concentrated on her son. She concentrated on the image of him from only a short time before- the way he looked, the way he smelled, the sweet sound of his voice, the light tinkle of laughter.

She concentrated with everything she had and still the crystal gave her no hint to where her son was. It stayed limp in her hand, refusing to move even a little bit. Piper racked her brain trying to figure out where Wyatt could be. Something nagged at her insides yet she couldn't put her finger on what. She felt Paige's dainty hand on her shoulder and Piper grew even angrier. She threw the crystal as hard as she could across the kitchen and shouted "Damnit, it has to work, we have to find him."

"We will Piper," Leo promised as he took his wife in his arms "We will find him and everything will be ok I promise."

All of a sudden it hit Piper like a brick someone had thrown directly at her. The realization made her knees grow weak and she was very glad Leo was holding onto her "He didn't scream" she remembered. "Not a single noise aside from that of the pans falling. He knew whoever took him." She took off like a bat out of hell as soon as she realized this and her sisters and husband were hot on her heels. She ripped open the magic school door that had become a semi-permanent fixture on the landing between the first and second floors of their family home. Gideon had shown an intense and slightly unnerving interest in Wyatt and his powers. Piper had a bad feeling as she ran as fast as her pregnant belly would allow her. She was only 5 months along but already the new baby was hindering her ability to perform her magical duties.

"Piper who do you think has him?" Leo asked a quality of begging edging into his own panicked voice.

"Gideon" Piper stated simply as she continued her hurried pace towards the school's library.

"Piper there is no way Gideon would have taken him like that." Leo argued. Piper knew he would try to stick up for his old mentor but the nauseous feeling she got around him just wouldn't leave her mind. She didn't trust the man and it didn't matter what she had to do she was going to find out if he had her son.

"Leo are you sure?" Paige asked. She knew Piper's feelings about the man and her own feelings mirrored her sisters. As they reached the entrance to Gideon's office through the school library she felt her heart rate skyrocket.

They slammed the door open without bothering to knock and hurried in. Piper didn't wait for an answer or any comments from her family and instead started tearing the room apart. Paige quickly followed suit, Phoebe only a minute or so behind her. Leo lagged behind unwilling to believe his former mentor had anything to do with his son's disappearance.

The sisters took apart most of the room in very little time and found nothing until Phoebe accidently touched the edge of a gilded mirror. Her sisters and Leo watched as she was sucked into a vision by a familiar feeling. She saw Wyatt lying on a stone floor with Gideon standing over him looking very pleased with himself and she heard Gideon's voice call out "I did it master- I killed the child, our kind, all evil, shall live on." As suddenly as the vision began it was over and Phoebe's legs just about gave out underneath her. She tried desperately to suck air in, to overcome the shock and devastation this vision pointed to.

"Piper was right but Wyatt isn't here. Gideon has him in a cave in the underworld somewhere. I have no idea where though" Phoebe tried to explain quickly. She saw the fury in Piper's eyes and the shock in Leo's.

"We have to get to the underworld then, I can't try to sense where he is up here" Leo said his voice audibly shaking. He reached and grabbed Piper while Phoebe took Paige's hand and both pairs orbed out of the brightly lit school emerging in a dark dank tunnel obviously in evil's domain. Instantly a look of concentration emerged on Leo's face and he grimaced just as quickly. "I can't sense him"

"No he is not dead" Piper stated adamantly "Try harder Leo."

"Piper I am trying as hard as I can" Leo groaned as he tried again to sense his son.

"I have an idea" Paige piped up and surprised everyone. "I have been trying to see if I could reverse my powers, you know orb myself to an object instead of orbing the object to me. It works half the time but it's worth a shot."

"You're right Paige it is worth a shot" Piper nodded grabbing her sister's hand. Phoebe grabbed Paige's other hand as Leo linked his hand with Piper's. Paige concentrated just as her sister and brother in law had and finally they made progress. They were orbed to the dark edge of another tunnel, this one right on the edge of a cave. Piper walked out of the tunnel and threw her hands in the air making Gideon freeze as well as a set of guards standing near him. She blew up the guards with another flick of her wrists and raced towards the prone form of her baby. Leo and her sister's were only steps behind her.

Before Piper could get to Wyatt, Leo's long stride over took her own steps and he had his hands out over their little boy the yellow-gold glow engulfing them. Nothing happened. It wasn't until Leo looked at her a devastated look on her face that she realized she had been holding her breath. It wasn't until her sister's grabbed her that she realized the anguished cries were her own. Her son, her golden boy was gone. And that was when she snapped.

She stopped crying and turned on the frozen elder. Paige and Phoebe watched terrified and distraught as their elder sister thrust her hands out and unfroze Gideon following with a succession of small explosions against him. Each explosion built up in intensity as Gideon began to scream.

"Piper, Leo listen he would have destroyed the world it was our duty to eliminate the danger, the evil!" Gideon begged as he landed on his knees.

"He wasn't evil! He was an innocent little boy, MY BABY!" Piper roared with fury as she moved closer to the monster that killed her son. "You killed my baby, how dare you try to justify that."

Gideon tried to crawl away but Piper never let up and with a final series of explosions the man who destroyed her life went up in flames. It was only then that Piper felt how weak her knees were, how heavy her heart was. It was only then that she let the deep sadness engulf her as she collapsed on the ground and sobbed.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N Thanks for those who have taken the time to read my story I hope you continue to enjoy! R and R please and thanks.

Paige watched from the doorway as her older sister slowly set a few photos of Wyatt on the new baby's dresser and sighed as Piper placed one of Leo and Wyatt on a night table next to the rocking chair. She knew the picture had been taken only days before Wyatt had been killed and could tell Piper was overwhelmed. Paige walked slowly into the room so as not to scare Piper who didn't know she had been watching and wrapped her arm around Piper's shoulders as Piper was swept into another memory.

"Don't touch me" Piper sobbed clutching tightly at her pillow as Leo tried to rub her back. They had just gotten back from their ultrasound appointment and Piper was devastated to learn that they were having another little boy- the brother Wyatt had so desperately wanted. She couldn't help but imagine another little boy with the same curls, the same blue eyes and she didn't want that and more than that she didn't want this new baby to suffer because of her own grief.

"Piper we need to talk" Leo said softly "I can't do this Piper. I can't be around you like this. You won't even look at me anymore!"

Piper knew he was right but looking at him hurt. She knew Wyatt would have looked like him as he grew and Piper couldn't stand the pictures that played in her mind when she looked at her husband. A little boy going to his first day of school with bright blue eyes and the same golden curls and mischievous smile as his dad, a young man going to prom, the same young man looking very much like Leo getting married and having kids of his own one day. The same little boy she had held in her arms only a short time ago.

It had been a month and a half since Wyatt's death and Piper could hardly will herself to get up in the morning, the only reason she ate and went through the daily motions was the little baby inside of her reminding her that life does go on.

Paige had thrown herself into demon vanquishing, similar to how Piper had after the death of Prue. Phoebe had thrown herself into work, hardly ever home. When Phoebe wasn't at work she was at Jason's and Piper knew her little sister was considering Jason's proposal that she move to Japan with him. Leo was so busy 'up there' and with his charges he was hardly around- but that was her own fault Piper knew she had pushed him away.

"If you can't deal anymore, just go" Piper whispered softly her body still shaking from the latest crying jag. "Go!" she shouted when Leo hadn't moved from her side.

Leo stood and looked at her and Piper saw the tortured nature of his eyes, they didn't have the same brightness they'd had a few months ago. It looked like he had been broken "I think we should get a divorce" He said as he tried to catch her eye.

If her heart wasn't already shattered it definitely would have been now. The man she had vowed to spend the rest of her life with was leaving and he was taking what was left of her heart with him. She couldn't bring herself to say anything just to nod slowly and try to bite back the new wave of tears she felt welling behind her eyes.

Leo sighed again and turned away from Piper unable to stand the look on her face any longer he orbed away.

Piper laid there on the bed that was suddenly way too big and sobbed again. She didn't care who heard her or what they thought she just needed to cry. Her whole life had been turned upside down in one fell swoop and she had no idea how to pick herself up again.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N Hey there all. So as you may have noticed Leo is out of character but that is for a reason as this story progresses. I have a plan in my head! Leo is essentially giving Piper what he thinks she wants. She can't stand being near him at this time and though that MAY change in the future I haven't completely decided on that one. This story is however more about Piper. I am going to include a lot of her relationship with Paige. It's not that I don't like Phoebe or Leo it's just the way this story plays out in my head.

I have also fixed the no anonymous reviews allowed! I hadn't realized that only logged in reviews were enabled. So I would again love any reviews and thank you for taking the time to read my story!

Oh! To Spencersince1994- Hey baby sis glad to know you read the story! Hope you read the rest of it too! Otherwise I know where you sleep :P

Piper sighed and leaned her head onto her baby sister's shoulder and said softly "Hey Missy Paige, how long you been standing there?"

"Long enough to know you are letting yourself go too much into the memories again Pipe. The nursery is ready so why don't we just shut the door until the baby gets here you don't need to subject yourself to this" Paige suggested quietly. She didn't want to upset Piper but she hated seeing her like this.

Since the incident Piper and Paige had grown extremely close any differences between them set aside. They discovered they both adored "Criminal Minds" and Sudoku and that when Paige put her mind to it she was actually a very good cook and Piper really did love helping her in the kitchen. Piper let a happy smile grow over her face as she remembered one of the few happy moments from the past few months.

It was shortly after Leo had finished moving his things to storage- he had decided to take the elders up on their offer to become one of them and Piper wasn't sure how she felt about the impending demise of their marriage. Phoebe had been essentially living with Jason and Piper and Paige only saw her when she came to get something she'd left at the house.

One of her many cravings had overcome her and she was on a mission to have a hot fudge sundae. As she got closer to the kitchen a smell that caused her sensitive stomach to churn and as she entered the kitchen she couldn't help but laugh at the improbable scene in front of her.

Paige, the one who would think of any excuse not to help Piper in the kitchen was standing by the oven covered head to toe in flour and with a devastated look on her face as she held the pan of not quite charred cookies.

Piper's cheery laugh caused Paige to drop the pan onto the stove and look pitifully at her older sister. "Paige hun what on earth are you trying to do? Burn our house down?" Piper teased as she moved towards the island glancing at the cookie dough that Paige had yet to burn beyond recognition.

"I was trying to make you cookies" Paige pouted pushing her dark hair behind her ears as she smiled sheepishly at Piper.

"Well you are in luck I think we can salvage the rest of these" Piper nodded decisively "Your batter is too liquidy so we just need to remedy that and then remember not to leave them in the oven so long again." She grinned at her little sister as she set to work eagerly.

Paige grinned back thrilled to see that although her surprise hadn't worked out it had gotten a smile back on Pipers face. She missed her big sister- while she was still there in body her spirit and mind were obviously elsewhere. "Thanks Pipe!"

For the next hour the sisters worked on fixing Paige's blunder and as the final batch of new and improved cookies the pair settled around the kitchen table and munched happily away.

"Piper do you think we could maybe . . . " Paige trailed off as she looked at her sister shyly "Watch a movie together? You know have a girl's night? Phoebe used to tell me about how you two and Prue" she stumbled slightly over her oldest sister's seldom used name "would all hang out and do like spa treatments and watch movies and I would love to do that with you." Paige's eyes lit up hopefully.

Piper smiled widely for what seemed like the millionth time that evening and leaned over hugging her sister to her side "You get the hot fudge sundaes, I'll get the nail polish we'll meet in my room in 5 and pick a movie?"

The pair ended up settled on Piper's large bed, cozy in their pjs watching episodes of "Criminal Minds" and savoring their hot fudge sundaes. They painted each other's nails and giggled like high school girls and as they curled under the covers snuggled close Piper looked at Paige and said softly "Paige I know I don't say it enough but I do love you. You are my baby sister and have helped me so much recently so no matter what I do or what I say please always remember I love you and you are always wanted here."

"I know Pipe. I love you too. Always. I know that we haven't been very close but you are my hero, you save the world from evil daily and no matter what life throws you, you always end up with your head held high." Paige smiled as Piper tenderly kissed the top of her head. She was finally getting the relationship with Piper she had desired since the day they found out they were sisters.

It was in this position that the duo fell asleep comfortable in the fact that no matter what happened or who else came and went in their lives that they also would have each other.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N** Sorry for the long wait. School was crazy but I'm on break now so no excuses.

Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed. Sadly.

Piper groaned softly as the throbbing in her back increased as she rolled over in bed. She was now 8 months pregnant. It had been 6 weeks since she and Paige had had their girly night and 5 weeks since Leo had left.

"Paige?" Piper called out as she gazed at the bright red numbers on her bedside alarm clock. 4:53 AM. "Paige I need you!"

"Pipe is everything ok?" Paige asked rubbing her eyes groggily.

"I think it's time." Piper stated and gave her sister a small smile. She was slowly coming to grips that this baby would never know his big brother and that she wouldn't have two sons to care for. She was trying to live because that was the only way she could honor Wyatt's memory – by making every minute of every day count.

Paige grinned excitedly "Do you still want to go to the hospital?" She asked moving quickly to Piper's side and helping her into a sitting position.

Piper winced and hissed as a sharp contraction cut across her torso. She nodded and moved gingerly to stand. "My bag's in the closet"

Paige moved quickly and surely, grabbing the bag and returning to her sister's side. Together the pair made their way to the stairs and into Piper's waiting SUV.

Paige maneuvered to the driver's seat and pulled out of the driveway in the still dark morning. She pulled her cell phone from the purse she had hastily grabbed from the chair in the foyer. She dialed the familiar number knowing she was waking their sister who was probably asleep in her lover's arms.

Phoebe hadn't been home in almost 3 days. And before that she hadn't been home in a week. Almost all her belongings were moved to Jason's apartment and both Paige and Piper knew the next move would be to Japan.

After being sent to voicemail twice a tired voice answered "Paige. It's four in the morning go back to bed and call me when the sun rises."

"Piper's in labor." Paige said "Will you meet us at the hospital?" She wasn't sure if Phoebe would come. She hoped so for Piper's sake but since her nephew's death and her brother in laws abrupt departure Phoebe had wanted very little to do with her family. Paige knew it was her method of coping but it hurt and she wasn't sure if Piper could handle the loss of another sister on top of everything else she was dealing with.

"I'll be there" Phoebe said after a moment's silent debate. Paige could hear her rustling as she began to move around the apartment.

"Piper do you want to call Leo?" Paige asked tentatively. Since the divorce had been fast tracked and finalized the pair had nothing to do with each other.

"It's his son."Piper shrugged. She wanted Leo to be there but not because he had to be. She wanted him to be there because he wanted to be there, because he wanted to meet their new son. She had a niggling feeling that he wouldn't be there. Not for Chris's birth and not for much else in his life either. She just prayed that for once she'd be proven wrong. Her child deserved an amazing life. With two parents even if they didn't live together.

The contractions had progressed rapidly now coming only 6 minutes apart by the time the pair had parked and made their way to the Maternity Ward on the hospitals fourth floor. The nurse sat Piper in a wheelchair and handed her a stack of forms to fill out which she did while trying to breathe through each contraction as they got stronger.

Phoebe arrived just as they were moving Piper into a bed so that her doctor could come and see how close to giving birth she was. Phoebe and Paige each grasped one of Piper's hands allowing her to squeeze for dear life every time a contraction hit. Phoebe whispered soothingly into her elder sister's ear telling her how proud she was of her and how great she was doing. When the doctor came both left the room momentarily.

Paige slipped quietly into a supply closet near Piper's room and called softly "Leo! Leo please come here."

"What is it Paige?" Leo asked annoyance tingeing his voice.

"I thought you'd want to be here for the birth of your son" She said disheartened by his distant stare.

"I was there for the birth of my son" Leo said his voice suddenly as distant as his stare "He's dead and he's not coming back" With that Leo departed in a swirl of orbs.

Paige snuck out of the closet and slide down the wall letting a small sob escape her body. She noticed that Phoebe had already returned to Piper's room and that she should do the same.

Piper looked at her hope filling her chocolate eyes which quickly welled with tears when Paige gave a gentle shake of her head. Paige quickly moved to her sister's side.

"It's ok Piper" Phoebe said gently "You have us. You don't need him"

Piper nodded.

"How far gone are you?" Paige asked lightly trying to dispel the tension in the room.

Piper laughed softly "Doctor says maybe another hour before I can start to push."

The sisters spent the next hour and a half curled together in almost a ball the two 'babies' in the family coaxing their eldest living sister through her pain. Anyone who looked into the room would have been hardpressed to figure out where one sister ended and another began.

When the doctor gave the all clear for Piper to push things moved just as quickly as her labor. She had no difficulty and although she was tired she knew that at the end of this road she'd have her sweet son in her arms.

Piper was disappointed that Leo was missing this but she couldn't force him to be here. She was just glad that both her sister's stood by her sides the entire time. Neither left, neither grimaced and when a clear cry filled the room both hugged and cried happy tears.

Piper's own tears were a mix of happy and sad. She was happy that she had a healthy baby that at 6 pounds 2 ounces and 18 inches long Christopher Wyatt Halliwell was small but strong. She held him close to her chest reveling in the feel of his tiny figure under her hands. She was sad that her older baby wouldn't ever get a chance to partake in an event he had so desperately craved and that Chris's father wanted nothing to do with the event.

After Piper and baby Chris were cleaned up Phoebe and Paige left with promises to be back soon and Piper was alone with her newborn son for the first time.

He gazed at her with wide dusky blue eyes. Unlike Wyatt's which had always been the crystal clear icy blue that she loved. Wyatt had had light curls while Chris's hair was darker and his complexion fairer.

Piper gently pressed a kiss to her son's head as he suckled eagerly at her breast.

"Chris this is going to be hard but we have each other. We have Auntie Phoebe and especially Auntie Paige. We'll get through it and figure it out. I will always love you and protect you." She vowed brushing her fingers through his downy hair. She wasn't going to lose him. He was her only reason to keep learning to live. With him she knew she could take on the world because she would do anything to make him happy and keep him safe.


	5. Chapter 5

"See ya later Paige" Piper called wearily as she rocked her two week old attempting to soothe his cries. Her little sister was going out on a date at Piper's insistence that she'd be fine but now that she really was alone she was starting to regret it.

"Come on sweetie" she cooed trying not to cry "It's just you and me and we're ok aren't we? You're fed and changed and I know it's like the whole world is against us."

Chris' sobs slowly turned to sniffles and he gazed at her with wide, wet eyes.

"That's my sweet boy" Piper let a small smile grace her face. It wasn't as easy as she'd thought it would be the second time around. Phoebe said it was because she hadn't cared for an infant in almost three years and her doctor said it was also because she was still grieving the loss of Wyatt.

She pressed a soft kiss to his soft head and slowly moved up the stairs to the attic being careful not to jostle him. When she reached the attic she placed him gingerly into the bouncy chair that Paige had recently put up there.

She moved quietly to place white candles around in a circle intent on getting some company and having someone she loved dearly to talk to even if only for a few minutes.

"Hear these words; hear my cry; spirit from the other side; come to me; I summon thee; Cross now the great divide." Piper said summoning up all the strength she had. She felt the power of her spell wrap around her like a warm blanket and she though hard on her sister, the one she desperately wanted, no needed, to speak to.

White orbs and a tinkling filled the attic and Piper grew excited as she always did when she knew a spell was working. However the excitement only lasted until the orbs faded and in their place was her beloved Grams.

"Oh Grams" Piper sighed disappointed "I wanted Prue."

"Piper you are still not ready to see Prue." Grams said consolingly "You just need to be patient. I can't stay long Piper I was just sent to deliver the message."

"But," Piper started.

"No buts and you know that" Grams interrupted "Everything will be ok Piper. I promise you that and you will be able to speak to your sister in the future and I will be back before you know it. We have to give this little guy his wiccaning."

"I know" Piper chewed at her lip disheartened. "I love you Grams." Piper said as Grams began to fade.

"I love you too darling" Grams smiled and blew her a kiss.

Piper collapsed onto the couch and let the tears come to her. "Why!" She asked loudly of the empty room "First you take my mother before I can even really remember her, then my father leaves because he can't handle this life, then Grams, Prue, Leo! Worst of all you took my son! Don't I deserve something in return?" Her voice took on a begging quality as she continued to rant "Haven't I done everything you have asked of me!" She stared at the ceiling as if willing her words to be heard "The power of three is basically destroyed again! Phoebe's gone to Japan to be with Jason, Paige and I can't do this all by ourselves."

"I can't do this by myself" Her voice cracked and she couldn't find it in herself to continue speaking.

She was shocked when she heard the tinkling of orbs fill the attic again and she glanced up to find Andy, her sister's old flame, standing near the altar.

"Andy?" She asked more out of surprise than confusion.

"Piper" He smiled softly at her and moved to wrap her in a brotherly hug.

"What are you doing here?" She asked hugging him tightly and pulling back to look at him closely.

"They heard you Pipe" He chuckled "And I must say you really have a way of making them feel guilty."

She glared at him slightly and said "Well it's not my fault they've pretty much taken away almost everything that means anything to me because of this stupid 'gift' of mine."

"I know" Andy assured "That's why I am here."

Piper looked at him perplexed "And your presence is supposed to make up for all this?" She chuckled softly "Not that I don't love you and all but you were Prue's one true soul mate"

He laughed boisterously and Chris stirred in the chair and Piper swiftly picked him up.

"You are a great mom Piper, don't ever doubt that" Andy said placing a reassuring hand on her knee as she fed Chris.

"Andy why are you here?" Piper asked after a few moments silence.

"I was sent with a message" Andy said quietly "You can't give up right now Piper, the world needs you, your son needs you. But you are right in that you deserve something in return for all your losses."

Piper raised an eyebrow at him "And that would be?" She prompted when he didn't continue right away.

"Leo was never your soul mate." He said bluntly thinking of no other way to say it "The Elders think it is the right time for your true soul mate to come back into your life."

"Wait back?" Piper interrupted perplexed.

Andy nodded "It isn't going to come easy of course you do have to find him. But he will be there and you will be happier with him than you ever were with Leo."

"Why did the Elders let us get married if we weren't supposed to?" Piper asked perturbed.

"Because of free will Piper and you were in love with Leo at some point and I know that deep down you still are." Andy started again "And because the boys needed to be born, both of them. Yes you lost Wyatt but everything does happen for a reason Piper and you just have to believe that and trust that the world hasn't failed you."

Piper opened her mouth to speak again but was interrupted by Paige's shout from downstairs and the slam of the front door "Piper I'm home! That was the worst date I have ever had! I'll grab the ice cream if you grab the movies?" Paige shouted referring to the pair's new tradition. Since they had their spa night it had become a ritual whenever either needed a little pick me up and something both sisters sincerely looked forward to.

"Ya be there in a minute" Piper called back stuttering slightly.

"I'll leave you be." Andy laughed again standing to leave "Piper just believe in magic and all it has to offer. You won't be alone forever and if Prue has her way you won't be alone long at all."

Piper's face lit up at the mention of her sister and she moved to hug Andy awkwardly while trying not to jostle Chris who was still being fed. "Tell her I love her?" She asked, if she couldn't speak to her sister she'd take the next best thing.

"Of course" Andy kissed her forehead and orbed off leaving her standing there still a little shocked by the whole surreal experience. There were some things that she'd never get used to- her dead sister's dead boyfriend suddenly appearing in her attic would be one of them.

She was standing staring at the spot Andy's form had just vacated when Paige came in "Pipe who were you talking to?"

"An old friend" Piper grinned "Come on let's go and you can rant about your date." She wrapped her free arm around her sister's waist and they headed downstairs together.


End file.
